Contact switch for ball rolling games



March 1, 1938. N. A NELSON 2,109,578

CONTACT SWITCH FOR BALL ROLLING GAMES Filed Jan. 12, 1937 E 2 Q a 1Z 22 f7 10 ,j2 J

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Patented Mar. 1, 1938 CONTACT SWITCH FOR GAMES BALL ROLLING Nels A. Nelson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 12, 1937, Serial No. 120,256

5 Claims.

The invention relates to a contact switch for use in ball rolling games, or the like.

These games usually embody a table over which a ball is freely rollable to engage suitable targets disposed thereon, said targets in the present instance being in the form of a special means adapted to be bumped or contacted by the ball to cause momentary closing of a circuit with a suitable source of energy, said circuit including an electromagnetic relay to operate a score register, dispenser, or like game auxiliary.

More particularly, the invention relates to the target structure which in the present instance is in the form of a resilient circuit closer, so disposed on the game table as to be contacted by a freely rolling ball, or other playing piece, momentarily to close the associated circuit.

The main object of the invention is to provide I a novel form of obstacle ortarget for use withball rolling games.

Another object is to provide such obstacle in the form of a normally open resilient switch or circuit closer, which when bumped or contacted by a free rolling ball momentarily closes to establish an electric circuit.

Still another object is to provide such a contact switch in the form of a pendant coil spring carried above a game board, and including a leg movable, when the spring is bumped, to engage a ferrule, or the like, disposed in the board; both the spring. and ferrule constituting electrical comductors disposed in a circuit.

Other important objects will become apparent to those skilled in this art as the-disclosure is more fully made.

Briefly, these objects may be attained in a ball rolling amusement game having a table over which a ball or balls'may be propelled, or otherwise rolled with the object of causing the ball to bump or contact the switch structure of this invention. Said switch comprises a conductor standard mounted in the table and carries a coil spring having a leg pendantly disposed in a conductor ring located in the table slightly offset from the standard. The standard and ring are wired in a circuit with a source of energy and a relay coil in'such a manner that when a ball rolling on the table bumps the coil spring from any ang lar direction whatsoever, the leg of the 'spring will be caused momentarily to contact the conductor ring in the board to establish the circuit for operating the relay coil and any desired game auxiliary device.

In the sheet of drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the 5 The game board or table is shown at ill, the

same being either disposed horizontally or slightly tilted from the horizontal in a manner well known in this art. A support or standard I l is mounted I in an upright position on the board, the same having a reduced threaded shank i2 passed through the board, or table III, as shown, there being provided a metallic clip l3 and nut l4, below the table to secure the standard to the table, in an obvious manner.

The upper end of the standard also is reduced to form a threaded shank i5, the shoulder thus provided, carrying a horizontal washer it. The shank abovethe washer It carries acup-shaped cap I1 and between the cap and washer is the end of a coil spring l8, which at its lower end termimates in a pendant spring leg I9- The spring assembly is made secure by a lock washer 20 and nut 2|, as shown.. L

Below the leg is and offset from the standard II, the table It is formed with an aperture in which'is securely seated a conductor ferrule 22 into which the leg I! is suspended and normally out of contact therewith. Said ferrule at its lower end is formed with an inturned annular flange 23 and an integral depending extension 24.

The clip II and extension 24 are disposed, for

' example, in an electrical circuit 25 for an electromagnetic relaycoil 26, and with a source of energy, such as the battery 21. r

In use, when 'a ball rolling on the table i0 bumps or hits the spring It to rebound therefrom, the impact moves the spring sufliciently to cause the leg I! thereof to contact the flange 23 of the ferrule momentarily to closethe circuit 25 and cause energization of the coil 26 for any desired purpose. It can be seen since the leg 19 is normally disposed at the center of the annular ferrule 22, that no matter froni what angular direction a ball strikes the spring it will 45 be operative to close the circuit in the manner described.

In a ball rolling game any desired number of such spring switch obstacles ortargets may be placed on the board in any suitable spaced re- 50 lationship and consequently, as in pin ball gamesgenerally,a single ball may successively bump and close a number of the switch. devices.

fiTis the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention uherein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

i. In 9. ball rolling game, a substantially horizontal table, the combination with said table of a substantially vertical support thereon carrying a coil spring coiled around the support and including a down turned extension, said spring constituting oueconductor member of a switch disposed in an electric circuit, the other member of the switch comprising a conductor ier= rule carried by and embedded in the table and adapted to he engaged by said extension which depends into said ferrule, said members being normally capped apart to hold the circuit open but adapted to close momentarily to establish the circuit when a ball rolling on the te'ole humus the spring.

2. In a ball rollinggame, a substantia ly horizontal table, the combination with said tahle, of a substantially vertical standard thereon carrying a coil spring coiled around the standard and having a leg extending downwardly into an opening formed in the board, said spring and support constituting one side of a circuit closer disposed loan electric circuit, the other side of the switch comprising a conductor disposed said opening, said spring when bumped by a hall rolling on the table being movable to engage the leg with the conductor in said opening momentarily to establish the circuit.

3. In a ball rolling game, a substantially hori zontal table, the combination with said table,

' of a substantially vertical standard thereon carrying'. a coil spring coiled around the standard and having a leg extending downwardly into an opening formed in the board, said spring constituting one side of a circuit closer disoosed in an electric circuit, the other side of the switch comprising a conductor ferrule carried by the table within said opening, said ferrule including an inturneol annular flange, said spring when bumped by a ball rolling on the table lacing mor armors able to engage the leg with the flange momentarily to establish the circuit.

l. in a ball rolling game having a substantially horizontal ta'ule over which balls are reliable, the combination with said table of a substantially vertical stonderd anchored. in said table with its lower end carrying on the underside of the table a lead for an electric circuit and its upper end exwnding' a substantial distance above the top surface of the table, a, coil spring surrounding the standard, means carrying said spring pendantly from the upper portion of the standard shove the table with the coils of the spring spaced from the standard to enable the spring to he resiliently flexed when humped by a hall rolling on the table, said spring being in the aforementioned circuit and constituting a conductor, and conductor means in said circuit and emhedcled in the table at 91- pcint spaced from standard and engsc'eohle by a portion of the spring when it is flexed to close the aforementioned circuit.

5. in a hall rolling game having a substantially horizontal table over which halls are rollehle, the combination with said table of a substantially vertical standard anchored in said tovhie with its lower end carrying on the undertence shove the top surface of the table, a, coil spring surrounding the standard, means carryice said spring pendsritly from the upper portion of the stendcrd above the table with the coils of the spring spaced from the standard to enable the spring to lie resiliently flexed when s aped by a hall rolling on the table, said spring being in the aforementioned circuit and constituting a conductor, and a conductor ferrule embedded in an opening formed in the talole et a point spaced from the standard and engageahle by c goortion oi the spring extended into ferrule when the spring is flexed to cause closing of the aforementioned circuit.

NELS A. NELSON. 

